CONCERT SEASON

2016 / 2017

PEACHTREE ROAD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Dear Friends,

Welcome to another new and exciting season of music at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. For over 25 years, we have brought you seasons of wonderful music and this year promises to bring you the finest music-making and memorable moments ever.

Our success depends largely on our generous donors and many concert attendees, so I invite you to join us in supporting this very important series. We continue to build the patronage of our Friends of Music Program. Through the generosity of our members, we are able to bring you nationally and internationally renowned artists that we’ve never had before – including The Tallis Scholars! An invitation to join our Friends of Music can be found in the back of this brochure.

Music has the ability to profoundly touch our hearts and souls. This series is an excellent way to enrich your life through the energy and beauty expressed through a live performance. I encourage you to take a few moments to look through this brochure to learn about each concert, the program and artists.

Come celebrate with us! As always, we invite you to bring your friends to share in the gift of music. We are thrilled to bring the arts to Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Scott H. AtchisonDirector of Music & Organist

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Season Opener: Celebrating Broadway’s Best!PRUMC Choir Celebrities & the Joe Gransden SextetOctober 13, 2016 • 7:00 pm | Harp Center

Coro Vocati: FolksongsOctober 23, 2016 • 3:30 pm | Moore Chapel

Music McElroy 2016November 13, 2016 • 7:00 pm | Moore Chapel

The Many Moods of ChristmasDecember 11, 2016 • 5:30 pm | Sanctuary

Christmas with the Georgia Boy ChoirDecember 16 & 17, 2016 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Eastman School of Music OrganistsFebruary 7, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Pedals, Pipes & PizzaFebruary 26, 2017 • 3:30 pm | Sanctuary & Moore Chapel

Georgia Boy Choir Festival Finale ConcertFebruary 25, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Requiem for the Living, Dan ForrestMarch 12, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Three Choirs FestivalMarch 23, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

The Tallis ScholarsMarch 29, 2017 • 7:30 pm | Sanctuary

Passion of the Christ: The Musical Stations of the CrossApril 2, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Coro Vocati: St. John Passion, J.S. BachApril 9, 2017 • 3:00 pm | Moore Chapel

Atlanta Summer Organ FestivalJuly 12, 2017 • 7:30 pm | Sanctuary

CONCERT SERIES2016 / 2017

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Season Opener: Celebrating Broadway’s Best!PRUMC Choir Celebrities and the Joe Gransden SextetThursday, October 13, 2016 • 7:00 pm | Harp Center

With its roots deep in Vaudeville, American musical theater takes its audiences from peaks of ecstasy to the depths of fear and dismay.

The PRUMC Chancel Choir and the unbelievable Joe Grandsen Sextet join forces to present a dazzling display of Broadway’s greatest moments from shows like Sweeney Todd, Westside Story, Ragtime and Wicked with arrangements by Wes Funderburk.

All proceeds go towards the Chancel Choir’s 2018 residency at the famed Westminster Abbey. The choir you love, singing songs you love - you won’t want to miss this! Get your tickets early.

Tickets available beginning August 1, 2016 at www.prumc.org/register. $35 general admission. $50 V.I.P. backstage pass includes a “meet and greet” with the stars after the show.

CELEBRATING BROADWAYTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016 • 7:00 PM

season opener with the joe gransden sextet

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SweeneyTodd

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2 . 0 . 1 . 8CHANCEL CHOIR @ WESTMINSTER

July 30 through August 5, 2018, the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church Chancel Choir will serve as choir in residence at Westminster Abbey (London, UK.) Please support the choir’s fundraising efforts by attending the season opener on Thursday, October 13,

2016, or with a single monetary contribution.

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Coro Vocati: Folksongs - The Stories and Voices of the PeopleSunday, October 23, 2016 • 3:30 pm | Moore ChapelJohn Dickson, conductor

A Folksong, by any name, implies a song of the people. Rich in the language and music of a culture, the tunes and texts passed down by oral traditions provide a glimpse into the character, the stories, and the heritage of a people. The program is divided into three languages and three countries. Folk texts and/or tunes in German, French, and English will explore the waltzes of Brahms’ Neue Liebslieder, the chansons of Ravel, Rameau, and Badings, and the populist songs of nineteenth-century America.

Coro Vocati: St. John Passion, J.S. BachSunday, April 9, 2017 • 3:00 pm | Moore ChapelThe passion of our Lord as told through the Gospel of John comes to life through this monumental work.

CORO VOCATISUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 • 3:30 PM

vocal ensemble

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Music McElroy: A Celebration of Friends & HarmonySunday, November 13, 2016 • 7:00 pm | Moore Chapel

PRUMC Assistant Organist Jeremy McElroy and colleagues are excited to present a mosaic of musical offerings, commemorating his 10 years of artistry in Atlanta. Jeremy’s collaborative presentations will celebrate the talents of, and his friendships with gifted & accomplished music makers from our community.

Journey through the evening with works from several musical eras including Baroque, Romantic, & Contemporary. Experience all styles of acoustic keyboarded instruments from PRUMC, featuring the recently refurbished Schantz pipe organ, the Schimmel grand piano and the Glenn Giuttari hand built harpsichord. Diverse displays of musical fashion will be highlighted through the expressions of string instruments, wind instruments, multiple hands on multiple keyboards, and the human voice, including yours!

MUSIC McELROYSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 • 7:00 PM

concert

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Cortège Académique Ernest Macmillan

Musikalischen Opfer, BWV 1079 Sonata Sopra il Soggetto Reale

J. S. Bach

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Joachim NeanderChristus, Op. 97 Felix Mendelssohn

A Medidation on Brother James’s Air Harold DarkeDance Suite for Organ Duet Jacobus KloppersPolonaise in E-Flat Major, B. 100 Antonin Dvorak

arr. Josef Zubaty

7 Silhouettes, Op. 29 selected movements

Sigfried Karg-Elert

Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8 i. Allegro con moto

Johannes Brahms

Jeremy McElroy, organ, piano, harpsichordScott Atchison, piano, Nicole Marane, organ

Kyna Elliot, cello, Justin Bruns, violin, Clint Miller, organ & clarinetTodd Skitch, flute, Betsy Stuart, oboe, Chamber Singers

MANY MOODSSUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2016 • 5:30 PM

christmas concert

The Many Moods of ChristmasSunday, December 11, 2016 • 5:30 pm | SanctuaryScott H. Atchison, conductor

The PRUMC Chancel Choir, soloists, orchestra and the Georgia Boy Choir present their Christmas classic filled with the sounds of the season.

From traditional Christmas hymns to moving new settings of familiar carols, this music will open your hearts and souls to the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth.

Tickets are complimentary but necessary to ensure seating. Tickets will be available beginning Sunday, November 20, 2016.

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Christmas with the Georgia Boy ChoirFriday & Saturday, December 16 & 17, 2016 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryDavid R. White, conductorwww.georgiaboychoir.org

Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir has become one of Atlanta’s favorite family traditions. This concert in the magnificent Sanctuary of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church will feature all five levels of the Georgia Boy Choir, along with a professional orchestra, performing your favorite carols and songs to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. This concert will also feature Atlanta’s largest performance of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with the audience invited to join in the fun and singing.

Celebrate this holiday season with an evening of beauty you won’t forget!

GEORGIA BOY CHOIRFRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016 • 7:00 PMSATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2016 • 7:00 PM

christmas concert

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Rising Stars! Eastman Organists’ RecitalTuesday, February 7, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

We enter our second year of collaboration with the Eastman School of Music, the premier music school in the U.S. for organists. We are proud to present Nathaniel Gumbs, Bronx, NY and Thomas Gaynor, New Zealand. Both are Doctor of Musical Arts students of Professor David Higgs. Come hear these extraordinary musicians!

EASTMAN ORGANISTSTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017 • 7:00 PM

recital

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GEORGIA BOY CHOIRSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 • 7:00 PM

festival concert

Georgia Boy Choir Festival Grand Finale ConcertSaturday, February 25, 2017 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryDavid R. White, conductorwww.georgiaboychoir.org

On February 24 and 25, 2017 the Georgia Boy Choir and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church will host the Eighth Annual Georgia Boy Choir Festival. The Festival will draw more than 250 young men from across the United States together for a day and a half of music making, allowing them the opportunity to strengthen their skills, celebrate their art, and deepen their sense of community. All boys from 3rd grade through 12th grade are welcome to participate, and no music experience is required.

The Festival culminates with a Grand Finale Concert which will feature all five levels of the Georgia Boy Choir, plus visiting choirs from around the country, and dozens of local guest participants as they join forces for a powerfully beautifulperformance.

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Pedals, Pipes & PizzaSunday, February 26, 2017 • 3:30 pm | Sanctuary and Moore ChapelPresented by Scott Atchison and Nicole Marane

Participants will receive a behind the scenes tour of our Schantz, Mander and Möller organs, hear organ demonstrations, and have a chance to play them. Pizza party follows!

Partnering with UMKF (United Methodist Kids Fellowship), we invite any upper elementary aged children (3rd – 5th grade) to attend. Registration is required and will be available after January 26, 2017.

Come meet the King of Instruments!

PEDALS, PIPES & PIZZASUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 • 3:30 PM

children’s event

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Requiem for the Living, Dan ForrestSunday, March 12, 2017 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryChancel Choir and OrchestraScott Atchison, conductor

A Requiem, at its core, is a prayer for rest, traditionally for the deceased. The five movements of Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, however, form a narrative just as much for the living, and their own struggle with pain and sorrow, as for the dead. Dan Forrest

Dan Forrest’s music has become well established in the repertoire of choirs in the U.S. and abroad in the last decade. Commissioned in 2012, Requiem for the Living is his largest piece to date. For more information visit www.danforrest.com.

REQUIEM FOR THE LIVINGSUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017 • 7:00 PM

concert

The Music and Arts

Program of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church dedicates this concert to all

who have lost their lives in terror and tragedy and to those who

are left to live in love and hope.

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My students love this concert – they take pride in wanting to perform well for the audience of other excellent singers, but always return to Athens inspired and moved by the brilliant performances of the Emory and GSU groups. They inevitably come home with newly discerning ears, and a wealth of enthusiasm about how we can grow as a choir. And – so many of our students know one another – from high school, the Governor Honors Program, All-State, etc. So, in many cases it’s a fun reunion of sorts for many of the students… and one that affords them the opportunity to show school pride, while being genuinely supportive of the artistry of each choir.

Daniel Bara, ConductorUGA Hodgson Singers15

Three Choirs FestivalThursday, March 23, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

Georgia State University SingersDeanna Joseph, conductor

University of Georgia Hodgson SingersDaniel Bara, conductor

Emory University Concert ChoirEric Nelson, conductor

A unique opportunity to see three powerhouse university choirs perform together! These singers, from three very different schools, come together for a collaborative, diverse and inspiring musical exchange. Originated by the husband and wife team of Deanna Joseph, (GSU conductor) and Daniel Bara (UGA conductor) and joined by Eric Nelson (Emory conductor), this Festival enters its seventh year of top notch musical excellence.

THREE CHOIRS FESTIVALTHURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 • 7:00 PM

concert

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THE TALLIS SCHOLARSWEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 • 7:00 PM

concert

The Tallis ScholarsWednesday, March 29, 2017 • 7:00 pm | Sanctuary

With their legendary sound, The Tallis Scholars under the direction of Peter Phillips take us on a journey of musical and human metamorphosis through six musical centuries - from medieval chant to the ethereal sounds of contemporary composer, Arvo Pärt, from the resplendent triumph of the Magnificat, to the world-weariness of the Nunc Dimittis.

The program, Metamorphosis, features works of medieval chant, Renaissance composers Orlando Gibbons and Michael Praetorius, modern masters such as Stravinsky and Holst, and the legendary contemporary composer Arvo Pärt.

Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets will be available beginning January 1, 2017 at www.prumc.org.

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Sponsored by The Friends of Music.

You couldn’t ask for a more uplifting escape. The Times of London

The Tallis Scholars was founded in 1973. Through recordings and concert performances, the ensemble has established itself as the leading exponent of Renaissance sacred music throughout the world. Peter Phillips has worked with the group to create, through good tuning and blend, the purity and clarity of sound that he feels best serves the Renaissance repertoire, allowing every detail of the musical lines to be heard.

The music that swells and ascends from the Tallis Scholars, all clad in black, led by the strong but gentle baton of Phillips, is rich and complex beyond measure…. They seemed to produce...the very music of the spheres, as the glorious sounds seemingly reached up... to the very vaults of heaven, which is, of course, where they were directed. This reviewer felt as though there were an entire orchestra on that altar! Debra Davy, Splash Magazine (Chicago)

MF

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Passion of the Christ: The Musical Stations of the CrossSunday, April 2, 2017 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryScott H. Atchison, gallery organZachary Fritsch-Hemenway, chancel organSchola, antiphons | John Lemley, narration

With origins dating back to the Middle Ages, the Stations of the Cross refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion. They grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa (“Way of Sorrows”) in Jerusalem believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. Now a Lenten devotion, the object of the stations is to help the Christian faithful make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. Take this spiritual Journey with us and find the sacred in Gregorian chant, organ improvisation and the spoken word in a stunning candlelit setting. This presentation creates a musical picture of Christ’s life through each Station right before your eyes.

PASSION OF THE CHRISTSUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 • 7:00 PM

recital

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Atlanta Summer Organ FestivalWednesday, July 12, 2017 • 7:30 pm | SanctuaryThomas Trotter$15 suggested donationIncludes Dessert Reception

Come celebrate our 15 years as a host of the Atlanta Summer Organ Festival with British virtuoso, Thomas Trotter! Mr. Trotter is the Birmingham City Organist, as well as organist at St. Margaret’s Church and visiting Fellow in Organ Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

THOMAS TROTTERWEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017 • 7:30 PM

organ festival

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The Feast of All SaintsSunday, November 6, 2016 | Sanctuary4:30 pm Organ recital, Austin Clark5:00 pm Evensong, PRUMC Chancel ChoirMusic by Brewer, Radcliffe, Ives and PhillipsScott H. Atchison, conductor

Carols by CandlelightSunday, December 4, 2016 • 5:30 pm | SanctuaryPRUMC Parish Choir • Peachtree CarillonNicole Marane, conductor

Eve of the Nativity of our LordSaturday, December 24, 2016 | Sanctuary12:00 pmFirst Communion of Christmas4:00 pmFamily Candlelight and Pageant6:00 pmFamily Candlelight and Pageant8:00 pmFestival of Lessons and Carols*10:30 pmFestival Choral Eucharist*

*PRUMC Combined Choirs with Brass

Music by Mathias and Rudolph

LITURGICALHIGHLIGHTS

2016

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The Imposition of Ashes & Litany of PenitenceAsh Wednesday, March 1, 2017 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryPRUMC Chancel ChoirChamber SingersMusic by Durufle and ByrdScott H. Atchison, conductor

Holy Thursday Choral EucharistThursday, April 13, 2017 • 7:00 pm | SanctuaryPRUMC Chancel ChoirMusic by Forrest and LottiScott H. Atchison, conductor

Easter Day: The Resurrection of the LordSunday, April 16, 2017 • 8:15, 9:45 & 11:15 am | SanctuaryPRUMC Chancel ChoirPeachtree CarillonThe Atlanta BrassworksMusic by Phillips and Rudolph

Music & Arts SundaySunday, May 7, 2017 • 8:45 & 11:15 am | SanctuaryPRUMC Combined ChoirsThe Atlanta Brassworks

The Feast of PentecostSunday, June 4, 2017 • 8:45 & 11:15 am | SanctuaryPRUMC Combined ChoirsScott H. Atchison, conductor

LITURGICALHIGHLIGHTS

2017

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The Great Tree LightingSunday, November 27, 2016 • 5:30 pm | SanctuaryChildren’s & Youth Choirs, Handbell ChoirsKathy Fletcher, conductor Children’s MusicalMoses and The Freedom FanaticsSaturday, March 18, 2017 • 6:00 pm | Harp Center Kathy Fletcher, conductor

Doxology Worship ExperienceCelebrate LifeSunday, April 23, 2017 • 8:45 & 11:15 am | Sanctuary Kathy Fletcher, conductor Doxology Youth Choir Tour: Celebrate LifeMay 30 - June 4, 2017Nashville, Gatlinburg, & Pigeon Forge, TN Kathy Fletcher, conductor

CHILDREN & YOUTHHIGHLIGHTS

2016 / 2017

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Rev. Bill Britt, Senior Minister

Scott H. Atchison, Director of Music and Organist

Nicole Marane, Associate Director of Music and Associate Organist

Kathy Fletcher, Director of Children’s and Youth Music

Jeremy McElroy, Assistant Organist

Ruth Sommerville, Music Administrator

Tamara Witt, Project Manager, Children’s and Youth Music

J. Tyler (“Ty”) Tippett, Friends of Music Chair

Julia Forbes, Music & Arts Committee Chair

Suggested concert donation $10 unless otherwise listed.

For more information on our concert season, music programs and instruments, please visit www.prumc.org/music.

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prumcarts.

To receive our concert season newsletter and event updates, please email music@prumc.org.

For worship times, please visit www.prumc.org/worship.

Peachtree Road United Methodist Church3180 Peachtree Road, NEAtlanta, Georgia 30305404.266.2373www.prumc.org

MUSIC & ARTSSTAFF, CHAIRS & LINKS

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Become A Friend of Music!

The Friends of Music Patron Program enters its third year of supporting the PRUMC Music and Arts Program. Through the Friends of Music (“FOM”) initiative, we are able to continue our tradition of providing outstanding concerts and performances in our annual series and to support the choirs and music ministry as they lead worship in this great church. It accomplishes this by financially sponsoring and facilitating these occasions. As part of its mission, FOM sponsors concerts by nationally and internationally renowned ensembles. This season, they present The Tallis Scholars on March 29, 2017. Music has always played a central role in the life of our church community. Through the generosity and faithful support of the Friends of Music, we can expand this tradition of excellence and the arts will thrive at Peachtree Road for many seasons to come. Individual membership to FOM is open to all by donation. Every gift at every level is appreciated.

For more information and to join Friends of Music, go to www.prumc.org/music/friends-music or email Ruth Sommerville at ruths@prumc.org.

FRIENDS OF MUSICKEEP THE ARTS THRIVING

patrons

MF25

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Peachtree Road United M

ethodist Church

3180 Peachtree Road, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30305

CONCERT SEASON 2016/2017